Machine for printing addresses.



A.- H. BATES.

MACHINE FDR PRINTING ADDRESSES.

APPLICA'HON FILED SEPT-15,4913.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lI- II|| IIIIIIIIIIIII- I'll 11% imam Tara, flak A. H. BATES. MACHINE FOR PRINTING ADDRESSES. APPLICATION-FILED SEPT-15, i913- Llfilfi? Patented Aug. 31, I915.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- JEYIIEA/TOE,

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-1'5, I913.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915. Q

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

m y D Mir n 5555a W @W and having their faces ALBERT H. BATES, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN MULTI- GItAPH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO.

MACHINE FCR PRINTING ADDRESSES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

Application med September 15, 1913. Sean No. 789,749.

' ings.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective machine for printing addresses and similar matter which it isde sired to change at each impression.

To this end, the invention co rises a member carrying a series of individual printing devices arranged the same gklg hii-j to-paper, a platen having rollin'g c action therewith, and means for causing the platen to coact with different ones of said devices on successive operations of the machine.- The member referred to is preferably a rotary drum, and the individual printing devices thereon may consist of type or slugs,

or similar printing members, arranged in the form of an address in a suitable holder in the same cylindrical surface.

I may employ the holder shown and claimed in Patents No. 876,522 to Summers Brown and No. 989,277 to-S. A. Neidich consisting of a flexible blanket of-parallel rails with overhanging edges. Such a blanket may carry addresses formed" of grooved type or slugs and maybe stored in flat form, and, when desired, they :may be mounted in curved form on a rotary I prefer to provide a rotary platen adapt: ed to coact with the printing members carried by the drum, and I arrange suitable 1 gearing, so that, n-one rotation of the drum,- the platen isactive only when a certain ad- ;dress is presented to it and the next rotation active only for the next address, and so on. B this" means pieces of paper may be fed successively between the. drum and platen an different address printed on each piece. When all the addresses'in'theblanket haveibeen pr1nted,the rotation and feeding of the paper is stopped, the blanket removed from the "drum, and another blanket with other addresses may be substituted.

The invention is hereinafter more fully.

.tially of the form explained and its essential characteristics are set out in the claims. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my machine partly broken away and partly sectioned; Fig.2 is a plan partly broken away with the printing drum in a different position, namely; havingbeen given a quarter of a left hand rotation; Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the right hand end of the machine with the end plate removed; Fig. 4 is a plan, partly broken away, of the flexible blanket; Fig. 5 is a cross section of the drum withkthe flexible blanket mounted thereon; Fig. 6is a detail in the nature of a cross section-illustrating the means for releasing the flexible blanket; Fig. 7 is a de tail, being a perspective of a portion of the holding device for the internally geared I cam shown inFig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the frame of the machine consists of a base portion 1 and two standards or end members 2 and 3. J ournaled in these end members is a shaft 4, on which is a crank 5, or other suitable driving means. On the shaft 4: is a suitable drum, shown as consisting of the end spiders ,or rings 7 and 8, and the smooth, partially cylindrical, surface 9 secured thereon.

Fig. 4 shows a flexible blanket substanshown in the Neidich patent referred to. This blanket consists of rails 10, which are I-shaped in cross-section, these rails being held parallel with each other and spaced apart by flexible strips 11, which are secured to each rail, being set into notches in the under faces thereof. The end. portions ofthese strips ,are secured to cross bars 12 which are shown as provided with holes 13.

The flexible holder described .is adapted to contain a series of addresses made up from type or line slugs, such address members being grooved on their opposite sides so that they may fit into the channels between rails. Fig. 4: shows several of such addresses, the individual lines thereof being designated 15. The lines for each address are shown as occupying successive channels between the rails and are properly spaced longitudinally with reference to each other. The different addresses are shown as spaced by ablank channel.

Suitable means are: provided for holding 12 of the blanket and tightly hold the same on the drum by reason of a spring acting on the movable hooks. The movable hooks 21 are shown as projected from a rock shaft 22 journaledin the end members of the drum, and a coiled spring 23 surrounding this shaft and connected to it and to the drumtends to force the hooks 21 in a right hand direction.

To mount the blanket on the .-drum, the hooks 21 are turned back, by means hereinafter described, and the blanket is put in place, after which the spring 23 holds the blanket tightly about the drum. By means of having a series of hooks 20 and 21 and a series of holes 13in the end plates 12, the

blanket may be given any desired position.-

longitudinally of the drum.

Suitable means are provided for inking the type held in the blanket on the drum. Figs. 2, 3 and 5 show such means as a ribbon 3O wound on spools 31 and 32. These spools are mounted in the recess within the drum which opens between the ends of the cylindrical surface 9. They may be suitably and periodically rotated to feed the ribbon by mechanism not shown, but which is well understood, as, for example, the ribbon feeding mechanism which ispresent on the multigraph and is shown and claimed in Patent No. 997,615. I'may substitute for such inking ribbon, or may employ in addition to it an inking roller, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 3.

This roller may be supplied with ink in any suitable manner, and it may act directly to ink the type, or it may ink a fabric or ribbon held over the type. v

40 indicates a rotary platen designed to coact with the type and suitably geared with the drum, as for example, by a gear 47 on the drum meshing with a gear 48 on the platen shaft or connected with it. Accordingly, when the type is inked, the rotation of the drum and this platen, if in co-action,

will print on paper fed between the drum and platen. -Any suitablemeans may be employed to feed such paper, as, for example,

that shown in Patent No. 846,992, granted to I printing portions are present opposite to it. These means will now be described.

The platen shaft is designated 41. This shaft is mounted in rock arms 42 rigid on a rock shaft 43 journaled in the ,base. Ex- I tending upwardly from this rock shaft is a rock arm 44 carrying at its upper end a cam roller 45. This roller is designed to coact with a cam 50 on a ring-51, which is rotatably mounted on the end of the drum. As shown, the ring 51 has a cylindrical portion 52, from which projects inwardly a flat annular portion 53, thus providing a circumferential internal groove, and, into this' groove extends a ring 55 secured to the spider 8 of the drum. For convenience in assemblage, the ring 55 is preferably made of a plurality of segmental sections, which are secured to the arms of the spiders by screws 57 passing through ears 58 of the ring.

As shown, the ring 51 is provided with internal gear teeth 60. These teeth mesh with a spur gear 61, which is journaled on a stationary stud 62 projecting from the frame member 3. The gear 61 meshes with a gear 65, which is j ournaled on a stationary stud 66 projecting from the end frame. The gear 65 carries a pinion 67 which meshes with a spur gear 68 rigid on the shaft 4 of the drum. Now, as the drum is rotated by its crank, the gear 68 is rotated, and this drives the pinion 67 gear 65, gear- 61, and this causes rotation of the ring 51. This ring, therefore, while guided by the drum, is driven at a different speed or rotation from the drum, depending on the gear ratio. This gear ratio is so chosen that, with each rotation of the drum, the cam 50 travels relative to the drum a distance corresponding to the distance from one address on the blanket to another.- Accordingly, on each at a time when a different address is passing. The amount of the platen shift is small enough so that the gears 47 and 48 remain substantially in mesh. i

Assume that the blanket has been placed on the drum, the ribbon or inking roller in place, and the operation of printing addresses about to start. The cam 50 has such a position relative to the matter in the blanket that it engages the roller 45 just before the first address is presented to the platen. This engagement raises the platen into coaction with this address. Accordingly, on this rotation, the machine prints only the first ad dress, for, as soon as this address is printed, the cam 50 clears the roller 45 and the spring 69 returns the platen to idle position. Now, during the remainder of the rotation of the drum, the gearing described is causingthe cam to shift relatively to the drum, so that, on the next rotation, the cam stands a distance farther back from its former position equivalent to the distance to the next address. So on this rotation, only the second address is printed, then, on the third rotation the third address, and so on..

By way of example, if thereare eighteen addresses on the blanket and the unoccupied space between the ends of the blanket is equivalent to six other addresses -(a theoretic twenty-four" addresses around the drum), then such gear ratio will be chosen that on each rotation of the drum the cam turned down ends 71 secured to the platen shaft and having an opening large enough for the printing of one address. The paper is fed between the under face of the guard and the top of the platen and is thus acted on only by one address at a time.

It will beseen from the above description that, to print a series of addresses or other matter on a series of sheets, it is only necessary to mount on the drum a blanket carrying the various addresses or individual matter, ink the type, and give the drum as many successive rotations as there are addresses to be printed. t the end of the operation the blanket is asilyremoved by winging back the hooks 21.

To release the blanket I may use the structure claimed in Patent No. 1,089,149 of Samuel A. Neidich. That is to shy, may mount on the shaft 22 a short rock arm 80 carrying a stud 81, andI may provide the end member 3 with a latch bar 82 adapted to be moved into position to abut the stud, so that, by simply moving this bar :and turning the drum, the stud will be engaged and the rock shaft 22 and hooks 21 rocked to .free the blanket. As shown, the latch bar 82 is pivoted to the frame member at 85 and has its other end in the form of a flange 86 adapted to be engaged by the stud 81 whenthe bar is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The normal position. of this bar is shown in full lines in Fig. 6, where it is held by a spring 87 (Fig. 1). To swing the bar into active position, it is only necessary to press down on an arm 89 projecting from the bar through a slot in the end member 3.

My device is simple and comparatively cheap in construction. The blankets, when laid flat for storage, take up very little room, so that a considerable number of ad-- dresses may be conveniently carried, and very little time is required to change the blankets. By properly positioning the blanket-on the drum, the matter may be given the desired lateral position on the sheet, the

tit

ordinary paper feed controlling the position up and down the sheet.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination, with a printing member which has a series of printing devices simultaneously standing at the same printing height on the exterior of said printing member, of a "platen which is a cylinder adapted throughout its circumference to have rolling contact with any of said devices, means for automatically causing the printing member and platen to coact on successive cycles of the machine at different printing devices, and means for causing the platen andthe entire series of printing devices to move relatively past each other at each cycle of the machine.

2. The combination of a printing member, a series of printing devices thereon si-.

multaneously extending the same distance beyond the exterior of the printing member, a platen which is a cylinder, means for causing the platen and the entire series of printing devices to move relatively past each other ,at each cycle of the machine, and

means for automatically causing the platen to have rolling contact with only one-printing device during one cycleof operation and with different printing devices on successive cycles.

3. The combination of a rotary printing member, as eries of printing devices simultaneously located on the outside thereof and standing the same height-to-paper, a cylindrical platen rotary during printing con tact, and means for periodically causing the platen to coact with successive printing devices on 'the printing member sooner or later than at the end of a complete rotation ofthe printing member, and means for causing the platen and the entire series of printing devices to move relatively past each 'other at each operation of the machine.

with one of said printing devices on each rotation of the printing member, different printing devices being engaged on successive rotations.

5. The combination, with a rotary print ing member, of a. series of printing devices carried thereby and simultaneously and continuously projecting the same radial dis tance from the axis of the printing member, a platen which is a complete roller and which is rotary during printing contact, and

.means for automatically causing said roller 1 thereof.

to coact with difierent printing devices on difi'erent rotations of the printing member,

said roller coacting with only one printing drum, a .roller platen, a rock shaft having device on any one rotation thereof.

6. The combination, with a rotary printing member, of-a series of printing devices carried thereby and simultaneously located on the exterior thereof and projecting the same radial distance from the axis of the printing member, a platen which is a complete cylinder and turns on its axis during printing contact, and means .for automatically moving said platen to have rolling contact with successive printing devices only on successive rotations of the printing member.

7. The combination of a movable printing member, a series of difl'erentprinting p0r-' rotating said roller as the printing member moves and for bodily shifting the rotating roller sooner or later than at. the end of a complete stroke of the printing member to have rolling contact with different portions of the printing member on successive strokes 8. The combination of a rotary printing member, a series of diiferent printing portions on the outside thereof constantly projecting the same distance from the aXis of the printing member, a platen roller which is rotatable and bodily shiftable, and means for rotating said roller as the printing member rotates and for bodily'shifting the roller sooner or later than at the end of a complete rotation of the printing member to coact platen into coaction with the drum once for each rotation of the drum, and means for automatically changing the time of coaction to provide a different portion of the drum with which the platen coacts on each rotation.

10. The combination of a rotary printing.

drum, a roller platen, mechanism for ro- \tating the platen, and mechanism geared with the drum for shifting the platen on different rotations of the drum into rolling coaction with surfaces differently positioned on the drum.

11. The combination of a rotary printing drum, a roller platen adapted to coact therewith, means for movably supporting the platen, a cam for periodically actuating said means, and mechanism for shifting said cam consequent upon the rotation of the drum to cause the platen to be presented successively to difi'erent portions of the drum.

12. The combination of a rotary printing arms carrying the platen, a rock arm from said shaft, a cam adapted to coact with said rock arm, and means for rotating said cam at a difierent rotating speed from the drum.

13. The combination of a rotary drum having a series of individual printing devices in' the samecircumferential course.

quent upon the rotation of the drum for rotating said cam at a speed which diflers from-the rotationof the drum an amount corresponding to the distance between successive. printing devices.

14. The combination of a printing drum having thereon successive'printing devices traveling in the same cylindrical surface, a

roller platen, a rotatable cam, ,mechanism operated by the cam for shifting the platen to coact with the drum, and means for rotating said cam automatically when the drum rotates but at a different speed.

15. The combination of a printing drum having thereon successive printing devices traveling in the. same cylindrical surface, a roller platen, a rotata'blecam, mechanism operated thereby for shifting the. platen to coact with the'drum, and means for rotating said, cam automatically when the drum rotates but at'a different speed,'. the rotation of the cam difiering from the rotation of the drum by an amount equal to the 16. The combination of a rotary printing drum having a series of individual printing devices thereon, a rotary platen, an arm, and mechanism connecting thesame. with the platen, whereby the movement of the arm may move theplaten, a cam adapted to operate the arm, said cam being in the form of a ring having gear teeth, gearing connecting the same with the drum, said gearing being ofsuch a ratiothat for each rotation of the drum the cam travels a distance which diifers. from one-rotation of said drum by an amount equal to the dis-' tance between successive printingdevices on the drum,

17. The combination of a rotary printing drum, .a cam ring having gear, teeth, a gear connected withthe shaft of the drum, gearing between said gear and the teeth on said ring, whereby the cam rotates a fraction of a rotation difierent from that of the drum,

a platen adapted to coact with the printing devices on the drum, and mechanism under j distance from one printing device to the next on the drum.

the control of said cam for moving said Ian drum, 2. toothed cam ring mounted on the end thereof but rotatable independently of the drum, a gear rotating rigidly with the drum, gearing mounted on stationary axes between said gear and teeth on said cam ring, whereby the ring makes a fraction of a rotation diiferent from the drum for each the platen with successive addresses on sucrotation of the drum, a platen,"and mechanism for controlling the position thereof operated by said cam.

19. The combination of a rotary drum, means for holding thereon a series of addresses arranged parallel with each other and simultaneously bounded by the same cylindrical envelop, a cylindrical platen adapted to coact with only one address on any one rotation .of the drum, and mechanism for causing said platen and drum to approach each other sooner or later than at the end of a complete rotation of the printing drum to establish rolling engagement of cessive rotations of the drum. I

20. The combination of a rotary drum, means for holding thereon a seriesof addresses arranged parallel with each other and bounded by the same cylindrical envelop, a platen adapted to coact with said drum, a'cam ring having internal gear teeth, a central gear rigid with the drum, gearing connecting said.v gear with said gear teeth, and mechanism for moving said platen operated by the cam on said ring.

- 21. The combination of a rotary printing drum, a pair of end frame members, a shaft mounted therein and carrying the drum, a

central gear rigid with said shaft, a ring surrounding said gear having internal gear" teeth and carrying a cam, gearing mounted on axes carried by an end member, said gearmg connecting the central gear to the in ternal gear, and mechanism connecting the latter with the platen.

' 22. The combination of a rotary printing drum, a pair'of end frame members, a shaft mounted therein and carrying the drum, a

central gear rigid with said s'haft,'a ring surrounding said gear having internal gear teeth and carrying a. cam, gearing mount- .ed on axes carried by one of the end memto carry a series of addresses projecting the same radial distance, a platen with which any of said addresses may coact, means for shifting said platen, and mechanism movable by the rotation of the drum but at a different rotative speed to render the platen ac tive at different positions ofvthe drum on successive rotations thereof. 25. The combination of a rotary printing drum adapted to carry a series" of addresses projecting the same radial distance, a cylindrical platen adapted to coact with any of said addresses and making a plurality of rotations for each rotation of the drum, means for rotating the drum, and mechanism operated by said rotating means for moving the platen sooner or later than atthe end of a complete rotation of the printing drum into coaction with diflerent portions of the drum successively on different rotations of thedruni and with only one portion on any one rotation.

26. The combination of a rotary printing .drum, a traveling cam, mechanism for rotating the drum' andfor rotating the cam'at a different speed, a platen, connecting mechanism between the platen and the cam, and a guard carried by the platen and adapted to overlie the paper which lies over the platen, leaving a portion of such paper free to receive an imprint.

- 27. The combinationof a drum adapted to carry a series of" addresses projecting the same radial distance, a platen with which any of said addresses may co'act, means for shifting said platen, mechanism movable by the rotation of the drum at a difi'erent rotative speed and acting to move the platen rotation of the drum, and a guard carried with the-platen and serving to prevent inopportune printing on the paper. 7

'28. The combination of a rotary drum, a

the outside thereof and carrying a series of at a different position of the drum. on each v removable device adapted to be mounted on 7 individual addresses constantly standing at the same height thereon, a rotary platen which is a complete cylinder, and means for vautomatically causing said platen to coact with difierent addresses on successive rota-v tions of-the drum.

29. The combination of a rotary printing drum, a rotary platen adapted ,to coact therewith, a removable holder, means for retaining said holder on the drum, said holder being adapted to carry individual addresses, a cam ring, gearing connecting the same with the'drum, whereby on the rotation of the drum the ring rotates at a different speed, and mechanism for, supporting and moving the platen operated, by the cam on said ring. g p 30. The combination of a rotary printing drum, means for holding on the outside thereof a series ofaddresses all projecting simultaneously the same radial distance from the axis of the drum and arranged in a circumferential row about the drum, means for automatically inking said addresses as the drum rotates, a platen which 1s a complete cylinder of'smaller diameter than the drum, and means for automatically causing the platen' to have printing contact with successiveaddresses on successive rotations of the drumand with only one address on any one rotation.

31. The combination of a rotary drum,

means for carrying therein a series of addresses arranged in a circumferentlal row,

' an inking ribbon carried by the drum and "extending over said addresses, a roller vices, means for automatically causing the rolling contact with any of said printing deprinting member and platen to coact on successive cycles of the machine at different printing devices, and means for causing the platen and the entire series of printing'devices to move relatively past each other at each cycle of the machine.

33. The combination of a movable printing member, a series of diflerent printing portions thereon each and all of which at each stroke of the printing member move through a single path, a platen roller which is rotatable and bodily shiftable, and means for rotating said roller as the printing member moves and for bodily shifting the rotating roller sooner or later than at the end of a complete stroke of the printing member to have rolling contact with different portions of the printing member on successive strokes thereof. 4

34. The combination of a rotary printing member, a series of diflerent printing portions simultaneously located on the outside thereof, a platen roller, and means for bringing the printing member and roller together sooner or later than at the end of a complete rotation of the printing member to cause the roller to coact Withdifi'erent portions of the printing member on successive rotations thereof, the roller coacting with only one portion on any one rotation.

35. The combination of a rotary drum, a

movable holder adapted to be mounted on the outside thereof and carrying a series of individual addresses constantly projecting the same printing distance from the surface of the drum, a rotary platen which is a complete cylinder, means for rotating the drum and platen, and means for automatically causing said platen to coact with difi'erent addresses on successive rotations of the drum and with some address on each rotation.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

v ALBERT H. BATES.

Witnesses: BRENNAN B. WEST,

JUSTIN W. MAOKLIN. 

